0
KARACHI, July 21: The effective functioning of the city’s Environment Protection Tribunal depends on environment activists and increasing public awareness, said a source in the tribunal.
Over the years, the federal government has spent millions on the body’s salaries and infrastructure but the EPT has been functional for only about four months.
The Karachi tribunal is comprised of chairperson Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, member technical Dr Samiuz Zaman and member legal Sofia Latif. However, the tribunal has so far received just two letters on matters pertaining to environmental damage and even these did not meet legal requirements, said the source, attributing the situation to the non-seriousness of the stakeholders.
Environment related agencies, NGOs and concerned citizens can file cases with the tribunal concerning any form of environmental degradation, including different sorts of pollution, unethical or unsafe activities conducted by industries or transporters and unsafe disposal of solid waste, sewerage and hospital/pharmaceutical waste.
Under the Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1997, an environment tribunal can take cognizance of any offence upon a written complaint from federal and provincial environment agencies. NGOs and private citizens, either individually or as a group, are required to give a notice of no less than 30 days to the Federal Environment Protection Agency or the Sindh Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) regarding the alleged contravention and their intention to file a complaint with the Karachi environment tribunal. After this, they too can submit cases to the tribunal.
The tribunal’s decision reflects the opinion of the majority of its members, including the chairperson. If the case is being decided by the chairperson and just one member, and there is a difference of opinion, the decision will follow the chairperson’s view.
The source said that the tribunal has so far received a complaint from a Karachi NGO and another from a citizen in the interior of Sindh but both lacked legal requirements. The tribunal chairperson recently advised the NGO’s representatives to file their case according to procedure and approach Sepa first. If Sepa fails to satisfy the complainants within the stipulated 30 days, the case can be submitted before the tribunal, said the source.
